Pros: Nice pool 4 good bedrooms, excellent outside spaces, table tennis, kitchen has everything Easy to book / rent Some small minuses: No aircon....was v hot when we were in Collioure Quite a long walk into town and WiFi was v slow Overall well worth renting!

We've rented many villas in France over the years but this was the best. The property is spacious, well equipped and comfortable. Even with 8 people it didn't feel crowded. A steep walk up the hill from the town is a small price to pay for the stunning view from the front of the house. The pool area has plenty of shade if it gets too hot and gets cleaned regularly. Air conditioning would have been a bonus but there were plenty of electric fans available.

We had fantastic weather, and the house was perfect.

The house is well located and very well equipped for two families. Beds very comfortable and lovely linen. Relaxing spaces outside (3 terraces!) and another under cover, which means you can dine in different areas, retreat from the scorching sun or simply get some peace by escaping the kids! Would be sure to stay again if returning to Collioure.

Five adult family members stayed at Villa Darby for a week in June. We had visited the town before on day trips and because we loved it decided to look for somewhere local to stay. Collioure did not disappoint and neither did Villa Darby.Whilst we were there the weather was extremely hot for the time of year (mid to high 30s). Villa Darby has an open air swimming pool which was very well used. In addition there were plenty of different areas of shade so everyone had their own space. Equally there was plenty of room for those who wished to soak up the sun!Whilst there we never ate inside, the outside table was large and could be shaded by the large umbrellas. The gas barbecue was easy to use, and was used a lot. By the pool there was an outdoor fridge in a bar area for those who didn't feel like walking down a few steps back to the villa. In addition there was a fully equipped table tennis table which kept players and spectators alike entertained in the cool of the evening. In fact the phrase 'well equipped' could be applied to the whole of Villa Darby. We have stayed in holiday accommodation ranging from flats to chateau and can safely say that none were so well equipped. We lacked nothing -except perhaps a tea pot- from towels to fans, and everything in between including books, DVDs and CDs Older members of our party found the hill from the shore to the property somewhat steep, but that had a lot to do with the heat. Anyway we found a free parking place at the bottom of the hill where we parked on couple of occasions to provide an easier climb for the oldiesSuffice to say we enjoyed our stay at Villa Darby so much we are looking to return next year!

Five adult family members stayed at Villa Darby for a week in June. We had visited the town before on day trips and because we loved it decided to look for somewhere local to stay. Collioure did not disappoint and neither did Villa Darby. Whilst we were there the weather was extremely hot for the time of year (mid to high 30s). Villa Darby has an open air swimming pool which was very well used. In addition there were plenty of different areas of shade so everyone had their own space. Equally there was plenty of room for those who wished to soak up the sun! Whilst there we never ate inside, the outside table was large and could be shaded by the large umbrellas. The gas barbecue was easy to use, and was used a lot. By the pool there was an outdoor fridge in a bar area for those who didn't feel like walking down a few steps back to the villa. In addition there was a fully equipped table tennis table which kept players and spectators alike entertained in the cool of the evening. In fact the phrase 'well equipped' could be applied to the whole of Villa Darby. We have stayed in holiday accommodation ranging from flats to chateau and can safely say that none were so well equipped. We lacked nothing -except perhaps a tea pot- from towels to fans, and everything in between including books, DVDs and CDs Older members of our party found the hill from the shore to the property somewhat steep, but that had a lot to do with the heat. Anyway we found a free parking place at the bottom of the hill where we parked on couple of occasions to provide an easier climb for the oldies Suffice to say we enjoyed our stay at Villa Darby so much we are looking to return next year!

We were looking for a villa and location for an extended family holiday to suit twelve year olds, twenty somethings, and those of us in our 50s and 60s. Villa Darby and Collioure really hit the spot! We felt at home in the villa from the start: the pool was a great hit as were the fabulous views from the balcony and the really well equipped kitchen. The owner was helpful and efficient when we booked and on arrival we found the description accurate and had everything we needed. The town was lovely and people were welcoming. It was lively with character, but also had the essentials - a good bakery and butcher, a small supermarket and a great choice of restaurants and bars. The young adults enjoyed a visit to the nightclub only a short walk from the villa. Collioure is a great location for exploring the area too. We particularly enjoyed the combination of mountains and sea, the stunning views along the coast into Spain and market day in Ceret. Altogether, a super summer holiday for a variety of ages and interests.

We had a fantastic holiday staying at Villa Darby. The villa is very spacious and well equipped and the views from the front terrace are beautiful. Our party consisted of 4 adults and 2 young children who loved the swimming pool at the back of the terrace. There was Sky and British TV channels which were great when the 2 children needed some down time.Collioure is beautiful and the villa is very well located. I would definitely book this villa again for a future holiday. Highly recommended.

We were looking for a villa and location for an extended family holiday to suit twelve year olds, twenty somethings, and those of us in our 50s and 60s. Villa Darby and Collioure really hit the spot! We felt at home in the villa from the start: the pool was a great hit as were the fabulous views from the balcony and the really well equipped kitchen. The owner was helpful and efficient when we booked and on arrival we found the description accurate and had everything we needed. The town was lovely and people were welcoming. It was lively with character, but also had the essentials - a good bakery and butcher, a small supermarket and a great choice of restaurants and bars. The young adults enjoyed a visit to the nightclub only a short walk from the villa. Collioure is a great location for exploring the area too. We particularly enjoyed the combination of mountains and sea, the stunning views along the coast into Spain and market day in Ceret. Altogether, a super summer holiday for a variety of ages and interests.

We had a fantastic holiday staying at Villa Darby. The villa is very spacious and well equipped and the views from the front terrace are beautiful. Our party consisted of 4 adults and 2 young children who loved the swimming pool at the back of the terrace. There was Sky and British TV channels which were great when the 2 children needed some down time. Collioure is beautiful and the villa is very well located. I would definitely book this villa again for a future holiday. Highly recommended.

We were two families with small children who stayed here fore two weeks. The villa was very suiteable fore young children, seeing the pool area was possible to lock and the outdoor area behind the house also was possible lock with gates. Lovely terrace in front of the house made fore nice evenings with wine and grilling. Nice view. 15 minutes walk to the city centre full of good restaurants and with several pleasant stone beaches. Would absolutely recommand. The owner was also very service minded and helpfull.

Villa Darby is an ideal base for a family holiday. The villa has spacious, light filled accommodation across two floors and four outdoor terrace areas. The front terrace has fabulous views of the valley and hills, with morning sunshine it's the best spot for breakfast; with evening shade for a barbecue. The rear terrace offers shade, ideal for little ones to play or a game of table tennis. There is a side terrace, shaded for lunchtime, yet evening sunshine for a "sundowner". The upper terrace has sun loungers, the heated pool and sunshine all afternoon and evening. With so many options to enjoy meals, play, or relax with a book, this is ideal for a multi-generation family group to get together, whilst offering the space for everyone to do "their own thing". Beyond the villa, Collioure is a lovely town, filled with history and character. So many choices of boutiques, art studios, bars and restaurants. Ideal for an evening meal and a wander through the many pedestrian streets. Make sure you pick up a guide (in French) and follow the town's "Fauvism" trail. There's traditional dancing in Place de 18 Juin on Sunday afternoons, check times at the TI office, located in the square. if you want to go further afield there are miles of coast for water sports; else mountain activities in the Pyrenees. We highly recommend the GORGES DE LA FOU, nr Arles sur Tech the world's narrowest gorge and thanks to a raised walkway, you can take the 1500m walk, a great family activity to remember forever. Nearby Argeles sur Mer offers "Rosalie" bike hire - seats six people plus two infants (Guidon Fute rental shop), we cycled the promenade and discovered a stunning outdoor photographic exhibition ("d'iles en iles, explosion de vie" until 30 Sep.14) at the end, close to the PORT car park. Of course, you could cycle to other towns along the coast and the Canet reservoir (Etang de Canet-Saint-Nazaire) as there are many safe, flat! cycle routes. The Pyrenees-Orientales region has a strong Catalan character or you can simply cross the border into Spain's Catalonia region. Don' miss the fish market of Port Vendres (web. cote catalane poissonneries) and Banyuls sur Mer is worth a visit, with play area, mini-golf and beach (BsM has an Aquarium and Biodiversarium - just in case you need an indoor activity for families!). We highly recommend this property to anyone wanting a memorable holiday in a diverse region of France, with a Catalan twist!

It was a great surprise on our arrival to have a bottle of champagne in the fridge! We thought Villa Darby was absolutely lovely and the views stunning! What a relaxing place to spend a holiday and exactly what we needed.The balcony and the side terrace were a perfect place for lunch and dinner .The swimming pool and the table tennis were enjoyed by all. We shopped daily at the wonderful fish shop which was recommended at Port-Vendres. We ate lots of mussels, oysters, crevettes roses and tried the tuna steaks ,mackerel and small dorades ! We went twice for the wine tasting experience with the 5 course meal at 'Les Clos De Paulilles' on the other side of Port-Vendres and thoroughly enjoyed it- well worth doing! Our daughter Kirsten and her boyfriend Ollie went to the restaurant l'Ambroisie in Collioure and thought it was amazing. We would recommend a car as the villa is high up on the hill above Collioure although it is only a 15 minute walk down the hill ! There are so many lovely places to explore although Collioure itself is very picturesque and full of character.We will never forget the amazing view of Collioure as you approach it from Port-Vendres . We would all love to go back to Villa Darby perhaps even next summer.

What a fabulous villa!! Upon our arrival in early July we were made very welcome by Patrick. The villa was spotless and very well maintained. Spectacular views from each of the terraces made eating outside a pleasure. The pool and table tennis areas were excellent. What a choice - stay at the villa or go into Collioure. We cannot fault anything at all - one of the best villas we have stayed in. The owner was very informative and helpful at all times and we have already booked for next year. Collioure is the best of France and Spain rolled into one.

We had a great week. The villa is spacious with excellent services. One just needs to turn up. We enjoyed the balcony, garden patios swimming pool, BBQ and the table tennis. The tennis club and vineyards are only a few minutes from the villa. Highly recommended and will come back.

We all loved our week in this fantastic house. We were welcomed by the caretaker who was very helpful and everything you could need in a holiday home was provided. We all enjoyed the books,dvds and toys. The children swam every day in the heated pool which was really warm inpite of it being October. Beautiful Collioure with its many restaurants and twice weekly market is only 15 minutes walk away and even the children managed the walk up the steep hill without too much complaining.

We stayed at villa Darby with 4 people (adults) in September 2010. The villa and its surroundings are truly a vacation paradise! The facilities in the villa are extensive and excellent. Furhtmore the location of villa is excellent. Every morning a beautiful view from the balcony. We enjoyed the beaches, the environment but also the wonderful pool. A highly recommended activity is visiting the safari park in Sigean (1h driving). Booking and contacts were simple and friendly Two notes: 1) One should note however that a car is strongly recommended to travel around. 2)If one is disabled, the villa is difficult to achieve because of the steep driveway. Furthermore, this is no problem. Are you considering a vacation in the sunny south of France, in a very relaxing Villa, then a stay at Villa Darby highly recommended.

Our family of 4, parents plus 2 kids (aged 16,14) enjoyed a fantastic holiday at the Villa Darby. We have been renting holiday homes in France for over 10 years and this villa is certainly amongst the finest we have found. The facilities are excellent, the kitchen has everything you could possibly require and the pool is lovely and a good size. The location is superb with a great view towards the sea, the vineyards and the Pyrennian foothills. The bike ride down to the town is exhilerating to say the least, it's a bit of a slog back up but it's a price worth paying for the view when you arrive. We had our Topper sailing boat and mountain bikes with us and enjoyed some superb sailing from the beach in Argeles. Lovely constant wind and because of the sailing schools lots of other boats around, so no safety worries. As Collioure is so hilly we didn't get as much use from the bikes as on our previous holidays, however, the fitter members of the party managed a minor col or two. There seemed to be a good network of mountain bike trails in the vacinity for the really committed, although at the time we visited it was a bit too hot to lure us off the beach. The booking arrangements and local contacts (pool cleaning,cleaning)worked flawlessly throughout. I would have no hesitation recommending this villa.

We have just returned from the villa (August 2010) and can recommend it unreservedly. It is spotlessly clean, extremely spacious and has absolutely everything you need for a wonderful holiday. We enjoyed the table tennis and the pool was fantastic both in the day and floodlit at night. The kitchen was really well equipped, there were board games, books, dvds cds and a great selection of books - including guide books on the area. The bedrooms all had ample storage space and comfortable beds, the shower was great and the bathroom modern. We have stayed in at least 6 properties through Holiday Rentals and this was our favourite by a long way. The owner was very helpful and Patrick, the local contact exceptionally helpful and obliging. As other reviews suggest the villa is quite a way from the town but we drove down and parked near the centre. The villa more than made up for this slight inconvenience. Collioure itself is a beautiful port, we enjoyed strolling around the town at night and the free jazz concert in the town square. Lots of other places to visit too - Banyuls Cellier des Templiers tour of the vinyard was worth the 5 euro charge, we had a great day in Barcelona (2hours), Dali museum in Figueres (40 mins). We will be back!

The house is in a modern development and the walk back from town takes about 20 minutes uphill. However, that apart, we had a great time. The house is very well equipped and well presented, the staff unobtrusive, the pool lovely and the views excellent. The owner was very helpful and any queries were quickly dealt with. We loved being close to Collioure beach and also a short car ride away from the Alberes/ Carcassone/ Spain etc. I would happily recommend this house to a variety of groups/families provided they have good mobility. It is good both as a sightseeing base and for vegging out.